Language name and locationː Bwanabwana, Papua New Guinea [Refer to Ethnologue]
言名称和分布地区布纳布纳语 (图贝图贝语), 巴布亚新几内亚米尔内湾省

 

1. kaiɡeda / keseɡa in other dialects

2. labui

3. yaiyona / tolu in other dialects

4. esopali

5. valiɡiɡi

6. valiɡiɡi kaiɡeda  ( 5 + 1 )

7. valiɡiɡi labui      ( 5 + 2 )

8. valiɡiɡi yaiyona  ( 5 + 3 )

9. valiɡiɡi esopali   ( 5 + 4 )

10. sanaulu

11. sanaulu kaiɡeda

12. sanaulu labui

13. sanaulu yaiyona

14. sanaulu esopali

15. sanaulu valiɡiɡi

16. sanaulu valiɡiɡi kaiɡeda

17. sanaulu valiɡiɡi labui

18. sanaulu valiɡiɡi yaiyona

19. sanaulu valiɡiɡi esopali

20. tau kaiɡeda simate (lit: ''they (prefix si-) killed one male / man'') *

 

Linguist providing data and dateː Mr. Alan Canavan, SIL International, Papua New Guinea. June 15, 2011.
提供资的语言家: Mr. Alan Canavan. 2011 年 6 月 15 日.

 

Other comments: Bwanabwana or Tubetube has a quinary counting system. 20 was expressed by the phrase 'tau kaigeda simate', 'mate' is a shortened form of koyamate or unuyamate 'to kill', so twenty may mean 'they (prefix si-) killed one male/man'. However, the new generation are quickly losing the numerals of six and above (with the possible exception of sanaulu 'ten'), and tend to transliterate the English words.    

Bwanabwana is spoken by about 2,400 speakers in southeast Basilaki island, Engineer islands and nearby islands, in Bwanabwana district, Milne Bay province, Papua New Guinea.


 

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